MANCHESTER, NH – Chris Duhaime has a knack for innovative ideas. As founder of marketing and web design company Pivot Creative Management, it’s what he does.
That’s why his latest idea, Brandaid, is one you will want to get behind.
It’s a unique fundraising campaign allowing others to help a local family in need by “buying” up to four hours of his creative services in exchange for a donation amount of your choice.
On Dec. 15, Duhaime kicks off his one-week Brandaid “giving and getting” campaign.
“I’ve been wanting to do something like this for a while, but I guess I never had a cause that motivated me enough, until I heard about the situation with my friend from high school,” says Duhaime.
He learned that fellow Memorial High School alumnus Sharon Juza Richert was going through difficult times. Her husband Michael, 36, previously battled and won a bout with colon cancer, but the disease recently returned and has metastasized. It is inoperable. She is a third-grade teacher at Christa McAuliffe School in Concord, and he is a registered nurse at the Elliot Emergency Department. They have two young sons.
Since Michael’s diagnosis, he has been unable to work due to treatment, and his wife has taken a leave of absence to be his caregiver.
Duhaime saw the opportunity to do something equal parts creative and charitable. Brandaid invites small businesses to make a donation to the Richert family in exchange for up to four hours of his professional design services, including logos, business cards, brochures, flyers, postcards, social media banner design, and more.
If the project exceeds four hours, Duhaime will either provide the completed files or donors can choose to pay for the remaining time needed to complete the job.
Duhaime said the four-hour window was meant to allow for him to field as many “donation” requests for service as possible, boosting the amount he can donate to the Richert family.
“I wanted to get it going this year, but it’s definitely got growth potential. I’m hoping local printers be willing to do print work, or maybe I can get other designers or freelancers to donate hours to add to the number of hours I can give. I’d also like to get a website going next year so people can schedule jobs online,” says Duhaime.
After graduating from Memorial in 2001, Duhaime attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, then lived in Virginia for five years before moving back home to Manchester to launch Pivot eight years ago.
Duhaime said there are some other initiatives in place to help the Richerts, including a YouCaring fundraiser that has already exceeded the fundraising goal, to send the family to Disney.
“Every little bit helps. I just wanted to do what I could do,” says Duhaime.
Click here for more on Pivot Creative Management, and follow Brandaid on Facebook.
